


Knocking On Heaven's Door

by chaoticsarahh



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reality Show, Bachelor in Paradise AU, Emo Ben Solo, Explicit Language, F/F, F/M, M/M, Tagged Relationships Are Endgame, alcohol consumption, but seriously assume everyone is bi unless otherwise stated, everyone's at least a little gay, everyone's dating each other, just don’t think about it too hard, time doesn’t really make sense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:27:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26297167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaoticsarahh/pseuds/chaoticsarahh
Summary: Welcome to the most dramatic season of Bachelor in Paradise yet.I got sad there wasn't a new season of Bachelor in Paradise so I decided to write my own.
Relationships: Kaydel Ko Connix/Rose Tico, Poe Dameron/Finn, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 5
Kudos: 7





	1. Welcome to Paradise

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to this weird little corner of the internet. A couple things - this is written like an episode of Bachelor in Paradise. Asterisks indicate an interview, dashes indicate a scene change/commercial break. I had to tweak some of the competition rules because this is very gay and the original show is very straight. The tagged relationships are endgame, but there's a lot of dating other people before we get there, in case that's not your thing. Please don't take this too seriously, because I am definitely not. Enjoy.

On this season of Bachelor in Paradise -

“You can’t take her, she likes me!” “You sure about that?”

It’s drama like you’ve never seen.

“Get away from me!”

Bonds will form.

“You’re not alone.”

Some will find love.

“Yes, yes, of course I’ll marry you!”

But it won’t be happily ever after for everybody.

“You’re an asshole, such a fucking asshole! I can’t believe this.”

Some will leave broken-hearted.

“All I want is love. Is that so hard?”

Get ready for the most dramatic season of Bachelor in Paradise yet.

\--

Someone straightens Palpatine’s Hawaiian shirt as the crew waits for the contestants to arrive. Bachelor in Paradise is Palpatine’s favorite series to tape. He’ll take any excuse to wear obnoxiously bright button-downs and equally obnoxiously bright crocs (which the kids say are very uncool, but they’re comfortable, damn it). 

Palpatine taps his toes impatiently, waiting to greet this season’s group of bachelors and bachelorettes to Mexico. He’s reciting the names of the contestants under his breath, hoping he doesn’t forget one. It’s always awkward when that happens. Palpatine is in the middle of whispering “Rey. 23. Mechanic,” when someone yells, “here we go! They’re here!”

It’s a flurry of activity as everyone gets ready to roll on what Palpatine has no doubt will be the most dramatic season of Bachelor in Paradise ever. When is it not the most dramatic? Someone should seriously get a new adjective.

Palpatine watches as a young woman walks down the steps. She’s wearing jean cut-off shorts, a flowy tank top that shows off a smattering of freckles across her shoulders, and hair pulled up in three buns. She stops right in front of Palpatine, pausing a moment to take in his oversized straw hat, flamingo-printed shirt, orange shorts and baby blue crocs.

“I like the birds.”

Palpatine smiles.

“Thank you. Rey, welcome to Bachelor in Paradise. How are you feeling?”

Rey shifts her weight from foot to foot before saying, “a bit nervous. I’m so used to being by myself I’m worried about being in such close contact with so many people.”

Palpatine reaches out to put a hand on her shoulder and squeezes gently. This isn’t his first rodeo, and he’s gotten pretty good at calming down anxious contestants.

“I’d be worried if you weren’t nervous. But everyone’s here to find love, right? There’s nothing to worry about. Plus you’re the first one here, so you’ve got a couple extra minutes to settle down before having to deal with everyone else.”

Rey gives Palpatine a small smile and hugs him quickly.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Palpatine breaks away and makes a grand sweeping gesture towards the beach.

“I think it’s time you get going.”

Rey laughs and starts walking down the stairs towards paradise. She pauses when she hears Palpatine clear his throat quietly.

“And if you need anything, let me know. You know where to find me. Or at least they-” Palpatine gestures at the camera people, producers, and other crew members crowded around, “know where to find me.”

Rey shoots him a grateful look and wanders down the winding stairs towards the ocean. She huffs a nervous breath. Her head is spinning. Rey wonders if this entire thing was a mistake. Sure her friends make fun of her for being perpetually single, but solving that by going on a reality dating show might not have been the best idea.

She makes it to the end of the stairs and gasps. To Rey, a puddle qualifies as a big body of water. But nothing could prepare her for the vastness of the ocean. It’s wild and untamed, a bit like her, and noisy. She didn’t realize the ocean would be so loud. 

Rey spends a couple more moments gaping at the waves before making her way to a hut off to her left that serves as the bar. It’s kitschy, with a particularly large plastic hula girl bobblehead standing on the counter. A tall man, with blond hair and a terrible fake tan that makes him look gold smiles as she approaches and he puts down the glass he was cleaning.

“What can I get you, miss?”

“A gin and tonic please -?”

“My name’s Charles Paul O’Neil the Third, but you can call me C-3PO.”

***  
Rey: Seriously. Who came up with that nickname? It’s...why? Just why?  
***

Rey starts to sip her drink, zoning off towards the ocean. She hears a squeal from where the steps are, and turns around. A short woman comes skipping towards Rey. Her dark hair hangs in loose curls, and her floral print dress shows off her figure. 

She plops beside Rey with the biggest grin Rey has ever seen on her face.

“Hi! I’m Rose Tico. It’s so nice to meet you!”

Rey grabs Rose’s outstretched hand and stiffens in shock when Rose immediately pulls her into a hug.

“I’m Rey. Nice to meet you too,” Rey mumbles into Rose’s shoulder.

“Isn’t this the most exciting thing you have ever experienced? We are here! On Bachelor in Paradise! I can’t believe it!”

Rose nearly vibrates with energy. She turns to C-3PO with a gasp.

“C-3PO? The C-3PO? Oh my god I can’t believe you’re real and I’m here talking to you!”

***  
Rose: C-3PO is so cool! I’ve been dying to meet him since season one when R2-D2 became friends with him and gave him the best nickname ever!  
***

“It is a pleasure, miss. What can I get you?”

Rose thinks for a moment, brow furrowed in concentration, before her face lights up in another radiant grin.

“A Malibu Sunset, thanks!”

“Coming right up!” C-3PO gets to work making the drink.

Rey knows she should talk to Rose about something and tries to think of a conversation starter, but Rose beats her to it.

“Isn’t this place absolutely gorgeous? And we’re here! I’ve been watching the show for six seasons and now we’re here!”

Rey feels Rose’s enthusiasm rubs off on her.

“Yeah it is pretty magical. Although I’ve never watched Bachelor in Paradise before.”

Rose swivels towards Rey so quickly Rose loses her balance and ends up toppling over into the sand. Rey jumps to her feet and rushes to Rose’s side, worry clouding her expression.

***  
Rose: For the record I would like to state I’m not usually that clumsy. But how do you get on a reality show without actually watching the show?  
***

“Rose! Are you ok?”

Rose is sputtering, trying to spit sand out of her mouth. She gratefully grabs Rey’s outstretched hand and pulls herself up.

“Yeah I’m fine. But how have you never even SEEN the show before? Why did you sign up?”

Rey shrugs.

“My friends kept teasing me because I never date anyone. I figured this is a way to find someone to date.”

Rose looks skeptical, although it’s hard to tell with her doing a little jig in place to get the sand out of her shoes after her tumble.

“I feel like you could just go to a bar or something. Download Tinder if you really want to date.”

Rey grimaces. She doesn’t want to reveal too much of herself, but wasn’t that the whole point of being on this show?

***  
Rey: I’ve had...a lot of people leave me. And I guess why should I try to let people know me if they’re going to leave me anyway?  
***

“It’s...hard for me to date. I struggle to open up to people.”

Rose touches Rey’s arm sympathetically, her eyes sparkling with compassion.

“I get that. I’m pretty much an open book, but I get wanting to close yourself off. It’s really cool that you’re here and getting outside your comfort zone. If I ever push you too hard just tell me. I want to respect your boundaries.”

Rey nods, and is immediately smothered in another of Rose’s hugs that Rey realizes she’s starting to enjoy.

“Good. I can already tell we’re going to be best friends.”

Rey thinks they’re going to be best friends too.

The next person to arrive is a guy dressed like he’s going to the savannah. He introduces himself as Beaumont Kin, but doesn’t offer any explanation why he’s wearing a safari shirt and khaki cargo shorts that are way too baggy. Chaco sandals complete the look, which Rey doesn't think are horrible, but the way Rose scoffs at them makes her reconsider. Beaumont is incredibly dull, and Rey and Rose escape to the pool while Beaumont is busy getting a drink.

\--

Ben chews on his cuticles as the car pulls up to the entrance. He assumes it leads to the resort he’ll be staying at with the rest of the contestants over the next few weeks. His heart and mind are racing. He can’t keep out the thoughts of running away, far away, why is he doing this, why did he let his mom convince him this was a good idea, it’s just like the time his parents sent him away to help Luke on his farm in nowhere New Mexico (seriously, who thought it was a good idea to send someone of his complexion to the middle of the desert?). 

The car lurches to a stop and Ben sits frozen in the seat until the driver awkwardly clears his throat and Ben gets moving. He approaches a rather ridiculous-looking man in a ridiculous-looking straw hat who looks like there’s nowhere he would rather be. 

“Greetings! Welcome to Bachelor in Paradise!”

Ben grunts in response. The regret is already threatening to claw its way out of his throat and make him run back to the car, but he knows this is getting broadcast on national television. Hopefully he can lay low and escape the first week without drama.

“My name’s Palpatine. You ready to head down to the beach?”

Ben purses his lips before responding in as cheerful a voice as he could muster.

“Better now than never, right?”

It sounds fake to his ears, but apparently Palpatine doesn’t notice. He gives Ben an awkward hug, mostly because Ben refuses to return it, and gestures towards a wooden staircase leading to the ocean.

The sound of his boat shoes seems to roar in Ben’s ears as he makes his way down. Ben hadn’t wanted to wear them - he thought they made him look like a frat bro intent on reliving his college glory days. But the truth is he doesn’t have any casual shoes (besides some fluffy koala slippers his uncle bought him as a joke a couple years back. They’re actually very cozy). At least the boat shoes don't clash too horribly with his navy blue button-down shirt with rolled up sleeves and black shorts. 

Ben makes it to the end of the stairs and looks around. He spots a guy sitting at the bar to his left, and the faint sounds of giggling from far away to his right. He debates whether to track down those giggles, but decides he should have a drink first.

He approaches the bar and asks gruffly for a whiskey neat. He makes the mistake of glancing at the other guy there who appears to have been waiting for Ben to look over.

“Neat!”

A flash of confusion passes over Ben’s face before the other man quickly explains, “because you ordered a whiskey neat. It’s neat. Get it?”

Ben nods, turning away so hopefully the man would stop talking, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

“My name’s Beaumont.”

Beaumont notices Ben staring anywhere but at him, and gets a mischievous glint in his eye.

“Looking for the ladies? Rose and Rey wandered off somewhere while I was getting a drink. Want to go find them?”

Ben grunts non-committedly, which Beaumont seems to take as a yes.

“Great! Let me get one more drink first.”

Ben grabs his drink and bolts before Beaumont could follow him. He knows he should probably try not to be an asshole, but he’s determined to leave during the first rose ceremony anyway. 

He wanders between chaise lounges and large daybeds towards two voices he assumes are Rose and Rey. They’re hopefully better company than Beaumont. He spots one woman with her back to him. She’s wearing a floral print dress, her hair loose around her shoulders as her feet swing in the pool. But it’s the woman next to her that catches Ben’s eye.

The world stops when he stares at her. She’s wearing a white bikini top and denim cut-off shorts, her long, tan legs stretched in front of her. Her hair is pulled up in three buns, which he thinks look a bit uncomfortable, but who is he to judge.

She radiates light and warmth. Ben can feel himself being drawn to her. He hasn’t had a lot of light or warmth in his life thus far, and her energy is intoxicating. She seems to notice someone else’s presence, because she turns and spots him, flashing a grin that sets his bones on fire and turns his brain into jelly.

***  
Ben: It’s cheesy, I don’t want to say it.  
Producer: Please tell us.  
Ben: No. No.  
Producer. Please tell us. We want to know what was going through your mind.  
Ben: Fine. It’s like suddenly, everything made sense. She was my soulmate and there was no way I would leave until I had her.  
Producer: Oh my god I think my heart’s going to explode.  
Ben: That’s it, this interview is over.  
***

She gets up from beside the pool and sticks out her hand.

“I’m Rey. Nice to meet you.”

Ben swallows around the lump in his throat and manages to reply, “I’m Ben.”

He grasps her hand and notices how big his hands are compared to hers. One of his could easily equal two of hers, and he very much does not think about other things his hands could be touching, other parts of her body that he could grab, caress, clutch…

Rey pulls back and gestures at the woman still sitting next to the pool.

“This is Rose. We’re hiding from Beaumont. He’s...a lot.”

Ben’s grimace must have conveyed his similar distaste for the man, because both Rey and Rose laugh. 

Rose pats the spot next to her.

“Come sit. Chat. Why are you here?”

Ben takes off his shoes and joins her in dangling his feet in the water. 

“My mom made me do it.”

Rey is in the midst of sipping her drink when she hears his response. She inhales part of it up her nose, causing her to choke and cough for a good thirty seconds. When she finally looks up, she sees Ben looking at her intensely with a hint of mirth.

“I’m glad my life amuses you so much.”

“I find it hard to imagine someone like you-” she gestures in his general direction at his large size, “-letting anyone tell you what to do.”

Ben smirks, and Rey feels her insides squirm. What was happening? Ben is not the usual type of guy she’s been attracted to. The few one night stands she’s had are all more of a sporty type who aren’t so tall and brooding. But something makes her want to grab Ben, kiss him, and never let him go. 

“If you knew my mom, you would know you can’t tell the woman no. Whatever she says goes.”

Rey is still disarmed by his gaze. She never knew someone could look so intently. It’s like he never blinks.

Rose is the one who pipes up.

“That must have made your childhood interesting.”

Only then does Ben look away, suddenly concentrating on the palm trees in the distance.

“Yeah. She...wasn’t around too much when I was younger.”

“Oh. I’m so sorry.”

Rose places a hand on Ben’s shoulder in comfort. He doesn’t seem to acknowledge it, and continues to stare out towards the ocean, his jaw twitching imperceptibly.

A pang goes through Rey’s heart. She knows what it’s like to feel alone. She’s felt alone her entire life. Now she’s pretty sure her original instinct to never let him go might’ve been right. If only she could tell him that he’s not alone, that the pain he’s feeling is real.

The moment is interrupted by another woman making her way into the pool area.

She’s already wearing a scarlet bikini with gold edging, and the most fabulous makeup Rey has ever seen.

“Hi everyone. I’m Zorii.”

The group says hello, and Zorii goes to sit where Rey had been sitting next to Rose.

“So what’s your story, Zorii?” Rose questions.

“Well, I’m recently getting over a breakup. He chose his career over me, and it hurt a lot. I just hope I never have to see him again.”

\--

Poe has never been more excited for something in his life. Being on Bachelor in Paradise? A dream come true. He’s practically bouncing out of his seat as the car approaches the beach resort. He sees an older man wearing the loudest outfit he’s ever seen (which is saying something) and practically runs up to him.

“The one! The only! The Palpatine! It’s so great to meet you!”

Poe immediately squeezes Palpatine in the biggest hug. Poe is still grinning when he lets go. Palpatine blinks away his surprise at the man’s enthusiasm and smiles.

“It’s great to meet you too, Poe. I can see we have a similar sense of style.”

Poe responds to the compliment by cocking a hip and striking a pose before twirling in place, giving everyone a good look at his half-way unbuttoned pink hibiscus shirt and red striped swim trunks. 

Poe hears Palpatine and the crew laugh. 

“I’m sure you’re going to have no problem with the ladies. Or the gentlemen, for that matter.”

Palpatine winks at Poe and hands him an envelope.

“Although this might help.”

Poe’s heart rate picks up a little. A date card is just the thing he needs. The breakup with Zorii had been tough, but it’s time to move on. He’s almost positive she has.

“I think it’s time you head down there to meet the rest of the contestants. Good luck!”

Poe skips down the stairs, more eager than ever to start his journey to finding love.

\--

Rey chews on her lip. Zorii and Rose are deep in conversation and Ben is staring off into the distance, trying to ignore Beaumont, who managed to find the rest of the group. 

***  
Beaumont: There are so many nooks and crannies! I almost didn’t find where everyone was. That would’ve been disappointing, right?  
***

She’s tempted to rescue Ben and ask him if he wants to go walk down by the beach, but they’re still waiting for one more person to show up. She thinks for another moment and decides what the hell, why shouldn’t she talk to Ben, and takes a step closer towards him. She freezes when she hears Zorii gasp.

“That’s him. That’s my ex I was trying to avoid.”

***  
Zorii: Of course. Of course Poe has to come ruin my Bachelor in Paradise experience. I can’t believe this.  
***

Rey turns to see a man who radiates charm strolling towards the group. He stops directly in front of Rey and looks her up and down.

“I’m glad you’re the first person to welcome me to paradise.”

Rey rolls her eyes.

“I believe that honor technically went to Palpatine, but sure.”

Poe laughs, absentmindedly touching Rey’s arm as his giggles subside.

“I like you. I’m going to want to talk to you more.”

***  
Poe: Rey definitely caught my eye. She’s incredibly beautiful and quick-witted. I knew I wanted to take her on the date as soon as I saw her.  
***

Poe wanders towards the rest of the group before Rey can respond. Rey catches a glimpse of Ben, and notices he’s staring icily at Poe. Rey forgets about it quickly because now Zorii and Poe are facing each other, both looking uncomfortable. 

“Poe.”

“Zorii.”

“I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Me either.”

Their conversations pauses, and Rey makes eye contact with Rose, who mouths “yikes.”

Yikes indeed. The tension in the air is palpable.

“I suppose we can be civil with each other.”

“I’ll be civil if you’re civil.”

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

A throat clears and Rey turns to find Palpatine standing before them. The man has good timing.

Palpatine claps his hands together before launching into a welcome speech.

“Thank you all for coming on this season of Bachelor in Paradise. We are so excited to have you here as you search for love. I hope each and every one of you finds what you’re looking for. I can’t wait to go on this journey with all of you.”

Palpatine turns to Poe.

“Now I think Poe has something to ask.”

Rey sees Poe wave an envelope, and a rush of adrenaline courses through her body. A date card. Who would he take on a date with? He reads off the card inside.

“Choose someone you’d like to explore a relationship with.”

Poe looks at Rey, and she feels another rush of adrenaline. She knows what he’s about to ask.

“Rey? You want to go on a date with me?

A million thoughts run through Rey’s head. What about Ben? She wants to talk to Ben. But this is Bachelor in Paradise. It would be silly to turn down a date. Especially a date with a handsome man whose eyes seem to be begging her to say yes.

So she does.

“Yeah of course. Let’s go get ready.”

Rey takes the arm Poe offers her and grabs her shirt off a nearby chair. The pair walk away from the pool, and Rey pretends she doesn’t notice Ben’s jaw clench as she passes by.

\--

Next time, things start to heat up.

“He doesn’t deserve your tears.”

Sparks fly as relationships bloom.

“You’re so beautiful.”

While others don’t get off the ground.

“She doesn’t like me. Simple as that.”

Find out next week on Bachelor in Paradise.

\--

Beaumont sits at the bar by himself, looking around with a confused expression on his face.

“Where did everyone go? Did they abandon me?”

He shakes his head.

“No, that’s ridiculous. I’m the hottest one here. They probably all had to go to the bathroom or something...all at the same time.”

Beaumont nods to himself.

“Yeah. That’s definitely it.”


	2. Sad Boy Hours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first real day in Paradise! It's a fun time. 
> 
> Shoutout to Reina for making sure my Spanish made sense.
> 
> Enjoy!

Tonight on another episode of Bachelor in Paradise -

“It should be me on that date.”

Poe and Rey’s date has a lot of contestants worked up.

“He ruins everything! He can’t let me be in peace.”

Who will be there to comfort Zorii?

“I think it’s time you forget him.”

And who will be there to comfort Ben?

“I knew this was a mistake.”

Does he have something to worry about?

“This has been the most magical day, all because of you.”

Find out right now.

\--

Rose is looking for Zorii. As soon as Poe and Rey walked away to get ready for their date, Zorii took off, looking like she was trying not to cry. It made Rose’s heart hurt, and she is determined to find her.

She first searches their rooms, bedecked in colorful blankets and wicker chairs. Zorii is nowhere to be found among the overflowing suitcases and makeup bags. Rose wanders to the bar, where she spots Ben and Beaumont. She’s sure to give them a wide berth, not wanting to get caught up in whatever boring conversation Beaumont is sure to have ensnared Ben in.

Rose finally finds Zorii curled up at the far end of the beach, staring out at the ocean.

“Hey.”

Zorii gives Rose a small smile before turning back to the waves. Rose takes a seat next to her, scooching so she can wrap an arm around her shoulders. Rose isn’t sure if Zorii would be interested in being anything more than friends, but she’s the only person Rose can see so far being anything more. Regardless, she knows Zorii is hurting, and wants nothing more than to help.

Rose rubs soothing circles into Zorii’s shoulders until Zorii finally breaks, screaming, “He ruins everything! He can’t let me be in peace. He can’t give me one moment’s rest without coming in and making me miserable.”

She buries her head in her hands, sobbing. Rose’s heart pangs with sadness and pulls Zorii into a smothering hug.

***  
Rose: I hate seeing people cry. That’s why I love to hug people so much. So they’re hopefully a little less sad.  
***

“Hey. He doesn’t deserve your tears. He has to be the biggest idiot in the world to dump you.”

Zorii looks up, her eyes still wet and shining brightly. By some miracle, her eye makeup is still perfect. Rose wonders if she sold her soul to the devil to always have flawless makeup. It’s kind of scary.

***  
Zorii: Your makeup doesn’t smear if you get it tattooed. Pro tip. You’re welcome.  
***

Rose runs her finger through Zorii’s hair, brushing it behind her ears. Her hands linger on her chin, gripping it firmly before murmuring, “I think it’s time to forget him. You deserve better.”

Rose leans in towards Zorii, and her next words are almost inaudible, her breath blowing over Zorii’s lips.

“You deserve better.”

Zorii closes the distance between the two of them. 

***  
Rose: It was...nice. Yeah. Definitely not earth-shattering, but definitely not the worst.  
***  
Zorii: It was a very good kiss. Rose is an excellent kisser.  
***

Rose pulls away first with a grin on her face. She untangles her fingers from Zorii’s hair where she had been gripping tightly.

“That’ll show Poe.”

\--

Ben Solo is sad. 

He ended up meandering towards the bar after Zorii took off on the verge of tears seeing Poe and Rey walk away, with Rose not far behind. Beaumont had arrived at the bar shortly after.

Ben feels like his heart is breaking. It’s silly. He doesn’t even know this girl. He’s barely said two words to her (he’s said 28 to her, to be exact. It’s not like he counted). She doesn’t owe him anything, and yet, he wishes he was the one on the date. He wants to hold her hand, make her laugh, maybe even get to kiss her. Ben’s stomach does a backflip at the thought of Poe kissing Rey. Ben sighs dramatically, trying to dispel some of his nervous energy.

“I knew this was a mistake,” he mutters, mostly to himself.

However, Beaumont takes this as a cue to jump into a conversation.

“What was a mistake? Being on the show? Drinking here at the bar with your new buddy?”

Ben is quick to interrupt, a hint of annoyance in his voice, before Beaumont can continue his litany of questions.

“This whole thing was a mistake. I’m ready to leave.”

Beaumont seems shocked at Ben’s admission.

“Dude! We’ve been here for all of, like, three hours. You’ve got to give it a shot.”

Ben snorts. He’s a little peeved he’s forced to talk to Beaumont instead of wallowing in self-pity somewhere, but alas.

“The only person I’m interested in is on a date with someone else. She doesn’t like me. Simple as that.”

It takes a couple seconds for Beaumont to understand what Ben is saying, but eventually, recognition dawns on his face.

“Oh wait, you’re into Rey? That makes sense, you got all weird when Poe asked her on a date. But hey man -”

Beaumont gently punches Ben’s shoulder in what Ben figures is a display of affection. Odd.

“Trust the process. We’re in Mexico, drinking booze, checking out hot people. We’re living life, man!”

“I’m going to go live life somewhere else by myself for a while.”

Ben is already walking away when Beaumont futilely tries to get him to stay.

“Hey! I can explain Bertrand’s box paradox to you to make you feel better! It’s the perfect distraction from your problems!”

***   
Beaumont: I actually learned about Bertrand’s box paradox as a way to pick up the ladies. So far it has been...unsuccessful.  
***  
Ben: As if I don’t already know the inner workings of Bertrand’s box paradox. Let me know when he wants to talk about the Monty Hall problem.  
***  
Beaumont: The Monty what problem? Is that like Monty Python?  
***

Ben thanks the stars Beaumont doesn’t try to follow him. It might have something to do with the malicious glare he shot him before heading towards the waves.

\--

Ben Solo is still sad. He’s moping on the beach, splayed like a sea star when Zorii and Rose come walking towards him. Ben raises his head and shields his eyes from the sun to see the two of them holding hands. His eyebrows go up.

“Are you two together?”

Rose glances at Zorii, who giggles. Rose replies, “yeah, we are. Just seeing where it goes.”

Ben gives them a small smile before letting his head fall back in the sand. 

Rose sighs and lets go of Zorii’s hand to sit on the other side of Ben.

“Alright broody boy, spill. Why are you so sad?”

Ben sighs, sitting up. He brings his knees up to his chest, letting his chin rest on them. He stares out towards the ocean for a moment before saying, “it should be me on that date.”

Zorii looks a little shocked, but her voice is gentle.

“Why is that?”

Ben turns to her, desperation sparkling in his eyes.

“I didn’t believe in any of this. I thought this was a ludicrous way for people to get a free vacation. But Rey is incredible. Suddenly I think this whole thing could work, but she’s off with Poe.”

Rose squeezes Ben’s shoulder.

“She’s not the only one who’s here though. There are going to be plenty more people coming. Who knows? Maybe one of them will catch your eye.”

Ben shrugs. He’s almost positive he’ll never feel the instant connection like he does now with Rey with anyone else. Still, Rose has a point.

“I guess. She’s...so perfect. It’s hard to lose her. Even though I never had her in the first place.”

Zorii chimes in.

“That might not be the case. That’s the fun of the show! Next week you could get a date card and ask her and it could change everything. Just don’t close any doors. And maybe be open to the possibility of finding someone else.”

Ben is starting to feel a little better.

***  
Ben: It’s a little annoying how good Zorii and Rose are at being helpful.  
***

“I think you’re right. I’ll keep an open mind.”

But Ben can’t help but wonder what Rey and Poe are doing right now.

\--

Rey is fidgeting with the hem of her dress, waiting for Poe to arrive. She has nervous butterflies in her stomach, unsure what this date will entail. That’s why she chose to meet him at the car rather than in front of everyone and have to go through the spectacle of saying goodbye.

Poe comes lumbering up the stairs, stopping in front of Rey to gape at her.

“You look good.”

Rey blushes.

“Thanks. You look good too.”

Poe grins, and pretends to flip some imaginary hair over his shoulder.

“Psh, as if I don’t know.”

A small giggle escapes Rey’s lips. Poe gently grabs her hand and tugs her into a car idling nearby.

“Let’s go explore.”

\--

Rey is amazed at the vibrancy of Sayulita, Mexico. She had no idea there were so many colors in the world. The town is lined with cute shops with eye-catching signs. Vendors sit next to booths overflowing with some of the most exquisite goods Rey has ever seen. But, the papel picado hung above the streets is her favorite. She appreciates the attention to detail and intricacy it took to make such a beautiful, delicate thing that manages to stay intact hanging high in the air.

Poe and Rey wander among the vendors, admiring the bright art and jewelry on display. Rey is almost positive she would’ve run into someone if it wasn’t for Poe’s grip on her hand, pulling her away from other distracted tourists. She points out her favorite pairs of earrings and considers buying a particularly colorful beach towel. 

They chit-chat as they walk. Rey talks about her job as a mechanic, and how she loves to fix broken things. She likes to work with her hands, and has a hard time sitting still. She learns Poe grew up in Chicago, but is now living in Miami. He's an erectile dysfunction specialist.

***  
Rey: Poe is a dick doctor. A dick doctor. I...cannot. What am I supposed to do with that information? As soon as he told me I was like *gasps.* I couldn’t wait until I got back so I could tell EVERYONE. What does a dick doctor even do? Oh I can’t think about it too much, it gives me the heebie jeebies. My dreams would be haunted by dicks.  
***

It’s getting late when the two of them end up outside an ice cream shop. Poe opens his mouth to ask Rey a question, but her stomach growls before he can say anything. Poe laughs.

“I guess we better get something here, huh?”

They end up sitting on a curb a little ways down from Wakika Heladeria, eating their popsicles. Rey opted for a mango con chile paleta, while Poe licks a choco y plátano paleta.

Rey is staring off into the distance, half-zoned out, absentmindedly sucking on her paleta when Poe interrupts her thoughts.

“This has been the most magical day, all because of you.”

Rey almost chokes, but recovers quickly. She should’ve known there would be a “let’s talk about our feelings” conversation, but damn. She hates this.

“I’m, uh, so glad. It’s been...nice. Yeah, today’s been nice.”

Poe moves closer to her, close enough she can feel the warmth radiating from his body. She resists the urge to scoot away, instead nibbling on the last bit of her paleta. Poe seems to have already finished his.

“You’re so beautiful. I’m so glad I asked you on this date.”

Poe smiles, and moves closer so his body is pressed up against Rey’s. She has an inkling where this is going.

“I really think this could turn into something.”

Poe grabs her paleta out of her hand and throws it on the ground next to her. A flash of annoyance runs through Rey. There were still at least two more bites left. Nothing justifies throwing away any part of a paleta, not even --

Poe kisses her, leaning his upper body over so he can reach her lips, bracing himself on his arms planted on the sidewalk. Rey is unsure of what to do with her hands, so they stay folded in her lap.

***  
Poe: It was a great kiss. Got a little tongue action in there too. Rey is such a catch. I feel like I’m on cloud nine. Ahhhh. It was the perfect way to end the perfect date.  
***  
Rey: The kiss was...fine. Not mind-blowing. A little wet, a little too much tongue. I was a little scared he was going to lick my face off. And he didn’t touch me at all? I don’t know. I’m...ugh.  
***

Rey and Poe kiss for a little while longer, before Rey eventually pulls away. Poe looks absolutely giddy, and Rey tries to turn her grimace into a grin. She’s not sure if it was successful, but Poe doesn’t seem to be paying attention.

“I think this date was a success,” Poe says. He stands up, brushing off his pants, and grabs their discarded popsicle sticks to throw in a trashcan. “Are you ready to head back?”

\--

By the time they arrive at the resort, it’s well past sunset. The other contestants are nowhere to be seen. Poe makes a beeline for his bed, wishing Rey goodnight with a quick kiss. Rey watches Poe leave before sinking down on the sand. Her mind is racing, and she’s having a hard time sorting through her feelings. She should be excited to date Poe. He’s a great guy, albeit with a weird job. So why does she feel disappointed that Ben isn’t still up, waiting to talk to her?

\--

You’re not going to want to miss the next episode of Bachelor in Paradise.

“I have never been more confused in my life.”

Rey has to make a decision.

“Hi everyone.”

But is Ben’s heart still up for grabs?

“You’re the only one here I’m interested in.”

And Poe has to face the fire.

“You prioritized dicks before me!”

Watch the drama unfold next week.

\--

Ben strolls aimlessly down the beach, trying to find a comfy spot next to the ocean to be depressed. He finally finds one, flops down on his back, and closes his eyes. He’s surprised to find a small sense of peace.

***  
Zorii: Ben was just spread eagle on the beach.  
Rose: Waiting for Rey, clearly.  
Zorii: It was so sad!  
Rose: Pretty sure he was lying there for a good ten minutes before we went over there.  
Zorii: I’m shocked he didn’t get sunburned. He’s really very pasty.  
Rose: You could practically hear Celine Dion playing.  
Zorii: Near, far, wherever you are…  
Rose: I believe that the heart does go on.  
Zorii: Once more, Rey opens the door.  
Rose:..damn I don’t know the rest of the words!  
Zorii: Just ask Ben. I'm sure he knows them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please listen to some Celine Dion for Ben.
> 
> Poe's career choice is 100% based on Evan Bass from season 3. It was just too good to not throw in here SOMEWHERE. Plus Evan is the literal best. I love him.


	3. Vitamin Sea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had way too much fun writing this. Please excuse any mistakes on my fish research. I tend to get my directions confused, so it's entirely possible I saw something say Western Pacific and went "oh yeah that's DEFINITELY Mexico!" 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

It’s another dramatic new episode of Bachelor in Paradise.

“Where is everyone?”

New arrivals promise to shake things up.

“Ben is a hottie. I’d climb him like a tree.”

Will Ben abandon his love of Rey to find love with someone else?

“I’d love to go on a date with you.”

Rey has to decide if what she’s feeling for Poe is real.

“I might throw up.”

But Poe has other things to worry about.

“Why did you break up with me? Was I not good enough?”

It all starts now.

\--

Rey wakes up and immediately groans. The sun is streaming brightly through a window near her bed, and it hurts her eyes. She really doesn’t want to have to get up and face the day. Morning seems to have brought no clarity to her feelings. She slowly makes her way out of bed, dragging her feet as much as humanly possible in an attempt to delay the inevitable.

Once she is dressed and feels semi-presentable, she wanders down to the beach where it looks like everyone has already gathered for breakfast. Ben, Zorii and Rose sit at a table while Poe and Beaumont are sprawled at the bar counter. Rey makes a beeline for the open seat next to Rose, pointedly ignoring Poe’s attempts to catch her eye. With her back to the bar, she immediately starts shoving pieces of bacon in her mouth for the sake of doing something. It also gave her the convenient excuse to not talk to anyone. 

Rey tries to formulate a plan in her head. Maybe she’ll go talk to Rose first. She seems like she would have good advice. And then talk to...Ben? Then Poe? Or Poe first? She grabs a pancake and crams it into her mouth like that will solve her problem. She’s chewing absentmindedly when she notices Ben staring at her incredulously. Rey briefly makes eye contact and feels a thrill run up her spine. She turns her head before her body can react anymore and meets the amused gaze of Rose.

“So hungry you can’t use silverware?”

Rey shrugs, half a pancake in her hand.

“Easier to just eat it.”

Ben snorts, and Rey ignores the second thrill to shoot through her body in seconds. He hasn’t even expressed interest in her. It’s silly. 

Rey is working on her second pancake when Poe and Beaumont turn towards the stairs, saying something about hearing someone coming in. Rey’s heart thumps with excitement. This is the first new arrival. Who would it be?

A woman comes into view. Rey tries to size her up. She is dazzling, that’s for sure. Her hair is cut in a blunt bob, complimenting the slinky silver dress she’s wearing. She’s the kind of person that could break up a relationship with a snap of her fingers.

She struts over to where everyone is sitting.

“Hi everyone.”

Everybody gets up and introduces themselves.

She give Rey a brief handshake, saying her name is Bazine.

Once everyone is back in their seats, Bazine looks around until her eyes finally land on Ben.

“Ben! Do you want to go talk real quick?”

Ben seems utterly shocked. He trips over his chair trying to get out, swearing under his breath. When he is finally standing next to Bazine, he breathlessly says, “lead the way.”

Bazine strides down the beach, Ben a step behind. 

Rey watches them go, feeling vaguely nauseous, her heart filling with a longing she wishes she could stop.

\--

Bazine leads Ben to a chaise down the beach. Ben’s mind is running in circles the entire time. What if Bazine asks him on a date? Should he say yes? But he loves Rey. Well, love might not be the right word. But he promised Zorii and Rose he would keep an open mind. Bazine is definitely not unattractive. It wouldn’t be the worst thing to go on a date with her, right?

Bazine sprawls out, soaking in the sun.

“I’m going to be real with you. You’re the only one here I’m interested in.”

Ben freezes, still standing. He feels his mouth working to say something, but nothing’s coming out.

“Meeting someone for a minute can’t tell you everything you need to know, but I can already tell we would get along well together.”

Bazine pauses, before peering up at Ben.

“You’re not involved with anyone, right?”

Ben’s mouth finally seems to want to cooperate, and he manages a forced “no, I’m not.”

“Excellent. Then I’d like to take you on a date.”

Bazine pulls out an envelope from somewhere - Ben isn’t sure exactly where. Does her dress have pockets? He thought women’s dresses often didn’t. That’s why they got so excited on the rare occasion when one did.

“Bazine, welcome to paradise. It’s time to dive in,” she reads off the card inside.

“So what do you say? You want to go with me?”

Ben hesitates only a moment.

“Yeah, sure, I’d love to go on a date with you. Besides, I think your only other option would be Beaumont and I’ll spare you that agony.”

Bazine laughs lightly.

“I appreciate that.”

She cocks a finger towards the rest of the contestants.

“Shall we go tell the others?”

Ben nods, and Bazine grabs his hand, pulling herself up. She doesn't let go once she’s standing, instead lacing her fingers through his and tugging him forward.

\--

Rey is lounging next to the pool sipping a margarita, watching Beaumont and Poe on the beach working out. She jumps a little when Rose appears next to her.

“Hey.”

“Hey! You got back so late I didn’t get a chance to ask you about your date. How was it?”

Rey fiddles with her fingers, trying to come up with some description for her feelings.

“It was good. Poe’s a very nice guy.”

Rose narrows her eyes.

“There’s a but. I feel a but coming.”

Rey grimaces.

“You’re right, there is a but.”

Rey sighs, picking at her nail polish.

“I have never been more confused in my life. I have these feelings for Ben, and I don’t know what to do with them. There’s this perfectly cute guy who’s interested in me and asked me on a date, but I still got jealous when Bazine came in today and they left for their date. I thought I might throw up. It was awful.”

***  
Rose: Shit.  
***

Rose groans, rubbing her forehead with her hand.

“Ben spent literally the entire day yesterday pining over you while you were on your date.”

Rey’s eyes snap to Rose’s face, hope sparkling behind them.

“Wait, don’t get ahead of yourself, now I’ve got a but.”

Rey sighs again, going back to picking her nail polish.

“But, Zorii and I told him he needed to move on, pretty much.”

Rose puts an arm around Rey and pulls her into a hug.

“We had no idea you felt anything for Ben. Or else we wouldn’t have pushed him to find someone else.”

***  
Rey: It sucks hearing that. It makes me wonder what could’ve happened if I had stayed here instead and not gone on that date. Oh well. I guess I have to focus on my relationship with Poe.  
***

Rey sniffles quietly.

“It’s okay. It’s not like I told you I had feelings for Ben.”

Rose opens her mouth to say something before Rey cuts her off.

“Seriously, it’s okay. It’s good to know Ben isn’t hung up on me, clearly, if he’s off with Bazine. So I'll just have to make it work with Poe.”

Rose murmurs reassurances to Rey as she gives her another hug. Rose is the first to pull away, and looks around confused.

“Where is Poe, by the way?”

Rey snorts.

“He’s working out on the beach with Beaumont. Earlier they were comparing abs.”

Rose dissolves into a fit of giggles.

“Stop! You’re serious? Does Beaumont even have any abs to compare?”

***  
Beaumont: See? Look at them! I have abs. They might not be as defined as Poe’s but they are there.  
***

Rey is now giggling too.

“Absolutely not!”

Rose and Rey are still laughing when Rey notices someone walking across the beach towards the two men. She gasps and punches Rose in the arm slightly harder than she meant to.

“Look! What is Zorii doing?”

Rose whips her head to stare down at the beach where Zorii is marching purposefully across the sand straight towards where Poe is doing pushups with Beaumont looking on.

***  
Rey: Uh oh.  
***  
Rose: Things might start to get a little heated. And not in the way any of us want.  
***

“I think she’s going to confront Poe.”

Rose and Rey look on in fascinated horror as Zorii says something to Poe, an angry look on her face. Beaumont blanches and bolts away. Rose groans.

“I wish we could hear what they were saying!”

\--

Zorii strides towards Poe, trying to act more confident than she feels. She needs closure. It wasn’t fair to her that Poe broke up with her over text when he was already in Miami. She takes a shaky breath. She knows she deserves better, but she also needs to know why. Why would he throw away everything they had together?

She gets close enough she can yell at him.

“Poe. We need to talk.”

Poe glances up at her from where he’s doing push-ups and grunts.

“If you say so.”

Zorii takes a deep breath, trying to stay calm.

“I say so.”

Beaumont makes fleeting eye contact with Zorii, and makes a break for it. Good. She doesn’t particularly want anyone to get in the middle of a fight that could very much turn into screaming at any point.

Poe scrambles off the ground, brushing sand off his swim trunks and meets her eyes.

“So...what do you want to talk about?”

“Our relationship. I need closure. I realize that now after I talked to Rose about how we ended things.”

Poe hesitates a moment and says, “how can we get that? Closure?”

Zorii takes another deep breath. 

“Tell me. Why did you break up with me? Was I not good enough? You left and didn’t even say goodbye.”

Poe sighs, pinching the space between his eyebrows.

“I didn’t know how to tell you, so I just left. And before you say anything, yes that was incredibly shitty of me -”

“Shitty of you?” Zorii interrupts. “You prioritized dicks before me! Are there more of them to fix in Miami? I don’t get it.”

Zorii can tell Poe is getting exasperated.

“The job paid so much more! And I’ve always wanted to live in Miami, you knew that.”

“But why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t know how! We had already drifted apart-”

“What do you mean drifted apart?”

“I never saw you! You were always off doing something else and I wanted to hang out with you and have fun but you were always busy!”

Zorii’s stomach is roiling. She doesn’t like confrontation, and seriously, what should she have expected? An apology? That was asking for too much.

“I would’ve made time for you if you asked!”

“I did. It always lasted for a few days, maybe a week, then it went back to how it was before. And I reached my breaking point.”

Zorii grumbles a string of curses under her breath. Poe is right. She hates it when he’s right.

“Look. Breaking up with you over text was shitty. It was very, very shitty, and I’m sorry I didn’t have the balls to have that conversation with you in person. I’m sorry I hurt you. But I would really like for us to both move on with our lives.”

***  
Zorii: Is this closure? Is this what it feels like? I don’t know. But I do know I would like to be in Paradise and not on edge, getting ready to snap at Poe at a moment’s notice.  
***

“You hurt me. A lot. But I would ultimately like that too.”

“Truce?”

“Truce.”

Poe pauses before asking, “can I give you a hug?”

“I guess.”

Poe pulls Zorii into a brief, tense hug. Poe awkwardly pats her shoulder.

***  
Poe: That was a hard conversation to have. It was necessary, but hard. Zorii deserves to find love. And I was not a good boyfriend, I will admit that. And I’m planning on learning from my mistakes. No more dick prioritization.  
***

Zorii nods, turning on her heel, not glancing back to see if Poe is following her. He is, just a couple steps behind.

\--

Beaumont is strolling down the beach. He doesn’t have a particular destination in mind, really anywhere that’s NOT near Poe and Zorii would be great. He’s a few feet away from the bar when he hears a distant, “where is everyone?”

Beaumont heads towards the voice, and finds a beautiful woman wearing a khaki button-up shirt dress.

“Hi! I was looking for someone!”

Beaumont grins.

“Guess it’s good you found me then.”

The woman returns his smile.

“My name’s Tallissan, but you can call me Tallie.”

“Well Tallie, I’d love to get to know you better but Poe and Zorii are having an intense argument back there, so let’s go away from them.”

Tallie and Beaumont wander, conversing about this and that until settling at the fire pit. A few moments pass, then Rose and Rey come jogging towards them.

“Zorii and Poe are done arguing,” Rose says in a rush, taking a seat near Tallie.

“I think they made up, or at least aren’t at each other’s throats. They hugged and looked like they were heading this way.”

Rose glances at Tallie.

“I’m Rose, by the way. This is Rey. We’re very invested in the drama.”

Tallie is about to say something before Rey interjects.

“They’re coming!”

Sure enough, Poe and Zorii are making their way towards the fire pit. Zorii settles next to Rose, grabbing her hand out of her lap. Poe sits across from them on his own log.

“What’d we miss?”

Zorii’s question hangs in the air for a few seconds before Beaumont pipes up.

“Tallie is here! Everyone, this is Tallie.”

Everyone is introduced, and the group falls into comfortable chatter. Zorii sneaks a look at Poe as he laughs at something Rey said.

***  
Zorii: I feel better. I think everything will be okay.  
***

\--

“So we’re going snorkeling?”

“Obviously.”

Ben eyes the water skeptically.

“Oh come on. It’s not like we’re going to get eaten by a shark or anything. We’re going to see some fish and it’s going to be fun. So put on your gear.”

Bazine shoves a snorkel and lifejacket into Ben’s arms. Ben sighs, and unbuttons his shirt. He can feel Bazine’s eyes lingering on his body as he replaces his shirt with the lifejacket. 

***  
Bazine: No doubt about it, Ben is a hottie. I’d climb him like a tree.  
***

Ben waits for Bazine to finish putting her lifejacket on, glancing around the small boat they're on. He can spot the rocky coast off in the distance. The clear blue water laps the side of the boat as Ben chews on his cuticles. It’s not that he’s against swimming. He doesn’t like getting his hair wet. It makes him look like a drowned dog, not to mention highlighting his gigantic ears poking through his hair.

A smack to his back brings him back to reality.

“You forgot these.”

A pair of swim fins dangle from Bazine’s hand. He grabs them and puts them on, grumbling about waddling around like a duck.

Bazine laughs.

“A cute duck.”

Ben blushes, and searches for something to say. He comes up with nothing, so instead gestures to the edge of the boat they’re supposed to jump off.

“Are you ready to go?”

Bazine flashes him a smile, and laces her fingers with his.

“Never been more ready.”

She presses a quick kiss to Ben’s lips, taking him by surprise. He barely has time to process what happened before he’s being dragged into the ocean by Bazine, who already jumped in without letting go of his hand.

***  
Bazine: Snorkeling is my new favorite thing.  
***  
Ben: It was very cool.  
***

Ben finds himself speechless at the sight he’s met with underwater. They’re swimming above a coral reef with so many fish he can’t count them all. It reminds him of an underwater rainbow. Ben’s not sure where he should be looking. A school of small orange fish with purple stripes on their sides swims past his face. He thinks those might be his favorite.

Bazine squeezes his hand. He looks at her, and she points down to the coral, where a long green eel sits under a nook, watching a particularly juicy-looking fish swim by obliviously. Suddenly the eel slithers out and attacks the fish, gulping it down in one bite before disappearing into a crevice.

Ben stares in astonished fascination. Bazine seems similarly stunned. They pause a minute before swimming on. 

They explore for another 45 minutes or so. Ben loses track of the time. He’s pretty sure whatever else happens on Bachelor in Paradise, getting to experience the ocean this way made it all worth it. Even if he wishes he was experiencing it all with a particular sunkissed girl with freckles on her shoulders and a blinding smile. 

When Ben and Bazine make it back on the boat, they collapse, exhausted but exhilarated. Bazine rips off her snorkel before turning to Ben with a breathless smile.

“That was incredible.” 

Ben takes off his own snorkel and starts working on the swim fins. 

“Yeah it was. What was your favorite part?”

Bazine thinks a moment, then her eyes light up.

“When that beautiful sea turtle came swimming by close enough to touch. Did you see the mouth on that thing?”

Ben chuckles.

“Yeah, I definitely wouldn’t want it to get ahold of my finger.”

Bazine grabs his fingers and brings them to her mouth, kissing each one.

“I wouldn’t mind getting ahold of them.”

Bazine pulls Ben on top of her, slowly kissing him and running her hands up and down his back. Ben kisses her back, bracing himself on his arms in order to not squish her. Ben closes his eyes, and lets himself get lost in her lips. His mind conjures up images of Rey, flashes he chooses to ignore. She’s with Poe. Not him. He’s with Bazine.

They kiss until the boat hits a particularly large wave that knocks Ben off balance, sending him rolling off Bazine. They both dissolve into giggles. When the laughter subsides, Bazine props herself up on her arm to gaze at Ben.

“I think this was a pretty successful date.”

Ben isn’t looking at her eyes when he replies, “I’ve had worse.”

\--

On the next episode of Bachelor in Paradise, it’s time for the first rose ceremony.

“Two of you will be going home tonight.”

Rey continues to struggle with her feelings.

“I should talk to him. I would regret it if I didn’t.”

Poe starts to worry.

“Is there something I need to know?”

And so does Bazine.

“What was that about?”

Watch it unfold next week.

\--

Rey and Poe are lounging on a daybed next to a sleeping Rose. Poe notices a crab crawling by next to the bed. He picks it up, and raises a finger to his lips, telling Rey to be quiet. She silently giggles while Poe delicately places the crab on Rose’s thigh.

Rose groans and blinks awake to see the crab crawling up towards her torso. She squeals with delight, and picks it up.

“Aren’t you the cutest little thing? I love you! What are you doing over here? Let’s take you back to the ocean.”

She carries the crab towards the waves, oblivious to Poe and Rey laughing.

***  
Rey: Rose is the nicest person you’ll ever meet. It’s incredible.  
***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bazine and Ben go snorkeling near the [Marieta islands](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islas_Marietas_National_Park).
> 
> Ben's favorite fish are [Mango Pygmy Angelfish](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centropyge).  
> They spot a [Green Moray Eel](https://oceana.org/marine-life/ocean-fishes/green-moray-eel).  
> The turtle Bazine references is a [Hawksbill Sea Turtle](https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/hawksbill-turtle).


	4. Rose To The Occasion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the first rose ceremony on Bachelor in Paradise. Hearts may be broken! People may be sent home!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Turns out writing rose ceremonies is really hard, especially when you have to tweak the rules to make it make sense. My brain feels like mush so we're just going to go with it!

The first rose ceremony is here on Bachelor in Paradise.

“Will you accept this rose?”

Three roses are handed out, and two people are headed home.

“It’s disappointing for sure.”

Decisions will be made that could affect lives forever.

“Wait! Ben, I need to talk to you.”

Find out what happens right now.

\--

Palpatine flips through his suit options for tonight, daydreaming about what’s about to happen. It’s the first rose ceremony of the season. He’s pretty sure he knows what’s going to happen. It’s a good thing people who got date cards get to pass out roses first. Otherwise, he’s almost positive Rey would give Ben her rose, or vice versa. He sighs. The hardest part of his job is to not meddle. Or at least not meddle too much. Locking Rey and Ben in a room and telling them to just stick their tongues down each other's throats already would probably be considered too much meddling.

Palpatine settles on a navy blue suit. It’s a little boring, but he’ll spice it up with a pale blue palm tree-printed button-down and some lavender crocs. 

He gets dressed, and heads towards where the contestants have gathered, waiting for his spiel before the cocktail party gets underway.

Palpatine approaches the eight competitors, all looking various levels of anxious. 

“Hi everyone!”

A chorus of “hi, Palpatine” greets him.

“So.”

He claps his hands together.

“Welcome to your first rose ceremony. How are you feeling? Excited?”

Most everyone nods, and Rose speaks up.

“I think we’re realizing this isn’t all fun and games. It’s been a great week, but now it’s time to figure out if these relationships are working or not.”

Palpatine gestures to Rose.

“She makes an excellent point. It’s time to decide if you’re ready to continue your relationship next week.”

Palpatine clears his throat, and launches into an explanation he knows so well he’s practically a robot regurgitating information.

“You know how this works. Tonight there are three roses up for grabs. Two of those will be passed out by the two people who got date cards this week, so Poe, Bazine, you are both safe. You will have to figure out who to give your rose to. The third rose is up for grabs, meaning anyone could pass it out, and anyone could receive it. Of course, with only three roses, two of you will be going home tonight.”

The group eyes each other uneasily, until they settle back looking at Palpatine as he wraps it up.

“This cocktail party is important. Talk to each other. Figure it out. And I’ll see you in a little while.”

Palpatine walks away, and the group sits in silence for a couple seconds. Finally, Bazine turns to Ben and asks if he wants to find somewhere more private to talk. They stand together and wander away from the large gathering room to a daybed on the beach. Rose and Zorii head toward the bar, while Tallie and Beaumont wander in search of food. Poe and Rey are soon the only people left. Poe’s eyes dart over to her.

“You want to go over to one of those lounges up the stairs over there?”

He gestures towards a room a ways in the distance.

Rey nods.

“Sure. I want to get a drink first. Want me to grab you something and meet you over there?”

Poe smiles, and presses a kiss to Rey’s lips.

“Sounds perfect. A margarita for me.”

Rey gives him a small smile.

“You got it. See you in a few.”

Poe leaves Rey by herself. She chews her lip before following in Rose’s and Zorii’s footsteps to the bar. She greets the two women before asking, “can I talk to you two for a second?”

“Yeah of course! Let’s go over to the table over there.”

C-3PO suddenly breaks into the conversation.

“It is a well-known fact I give excellent advice if you ever find yourself in need of any.”

Rose turns to him and gently says, “I’m pretty sure this is going to be a lot of girl talk. You wouldn’t be interested.”

A quiet “oh” escapes his lips, and Rose turns, dragging Zorii and Rey along with her.

“So let’s get to this girl talk then. Rey, what’s up?”

Rey shifts her feet, glancing around before finally saying, “I think I should tell Ben I like him. Or have some sort of non-platonic feelings for him.”

Zorii makes an ambiguous sound while Rose thinks about what Rey said.

“I’m not sure that’s the best idea.”

Rey groans in annoyance.

“Why not? I should talk to him. I would regret it if I didn’t.”

“Okay, maybe it’s not the best idea right off the bat. I think it’s important you talk to him eventually. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from watching this show religiously, it’s that you don’t want to miss an opportunity. But I would talk to Poe first. Let him know where your head is at and that you’re interested in exploring other relationships.”

Zorii nods as Rose talks.

“I agree with Rose. As much as Poe hurt me, he deserves to find love, and he doesn’t deserve to be blindsided.”

Rose squeezes Zorii’s arm encouragingly.

“Look at you, growing and healing. I’m so proud of you.”

Rose pulls Zorii into a kiss, and Rey takes that as her cue to leave.

“Thanks. I’ll talk to Poe first and...you’re definitely not paying attention anymore. Ok, I’m going now.”

Rey walks towards the bar to pick up her drinks, leaving behind Rose and Zorii in the middle of a very intense makeout session.

\--

Poe is stretched out, staring at the stars when Rey walks up. He doesn’t move, so Rey sets their drinks down and stretches out beside him. 

Poe rolls over, facing Rey.

“It took you awhile to come over here. Everything ok?”

Rey bites her lip, grasping for the right words to say.

“I was talking with Rose and Zorii about some stuff.”

She pauses, taking a moment to collect her thoughts when Poe swoops in.

“Is there something I need to know?”

Rey sighs, and rolls over so she’s facing Poe.

“You know I like you, right?”

Poe nods.

“But the thing is, I came here to explore. To see what could happen and to date around. You’re a really great guy Poe, but I do want to explore other options while I’m here.”

***  
Rey: I could see the hurt in his eyes. I hate this, I hate this so much.  
***

Rey continues.

“That isn’t to say something couldn’t happen between us. But I want both of us to be on the same page about everything.”

Poe lets out a defeated sigh, and goes back to looking at the stars.

“I understand. I’m not going to lie, I really like you. I wasn’t expecting to come in here and make a connection with someone right from the start but that’s what happened. And it sucks you don’t feel as strongly as I do.”

Rey nods her head slightly before Poe goes on.

“I’m still going to give my rose to you. I want you to know that I care about you and I want to see where this relationship can go, if you’ll give it a chance.”

Rey murmurs quietly, almost too quietly for Poe to hear.

“I don’t know. I don’t know.”

\--

Time slips away from Rey, and before she knows it, it’s time to gather again for the rose ceremony. As she walks to take her place on the risers next to Tallie, Rose shoots her a quizzical glance. Rey bends over and whispers in her ear, “I talked to Poe but didn’t get a chance to talk to Ben.”

Rose nods, grabbing Rey’s hand and giving it a squeeze before she walks away. Pretty soon all eight of them are settled into their places, and Palpatine appears again.

“Let’s get this rose ceremony underway!”

***  
Tallie: Going into this ceremony, we’ve got three couples - Rose and Zorii, Ben and Bazine, and Rey and Poe. Which obviously doesn’t leave me much of a shot at getting a rose. Although I do think Poe and Rey had some sort of conversation about something so I’m not sure their relationship is great right now. That’s probably my best chance if Poe doesn’t want to give a rose to Rey.  
***

Palpatine surveys the contestants and announces, “Poe.”

Poe steps down and approaches the table where three red roses sit. He picks one up, and looks at everyone gathered.

“Rey.”

Rose and Bazine make room for Rey to walk down to stand in front of Poe. He stares at her with an inscrutable expression.

“Rey. I want this rose to represent my hope that something can work out between us. Will you accept it?”

Rey nods, barely perceptible.

Poe exhales, and gives Rey a quick hug before they return to their spots.

Palpatine pauses a moment before saying, “Bazine.”

Bazine slinks to the front and grabs a rose, her eyes falling on -

“Ben.”

Ben lumbers towards Bazine, ending up in the same spot Rey was moments before.

“I’ve had so much fun this week. Will you accept this rose?”

Ben’s voice rumbles, “yes.”

They hug, and Bazine gives Ben’s cheek a chaste kiss.

The pair rejoins the group, and Palpatine appears again.

“Everyone, this is the last rose tonight.”

Palpatine waits a moment, then two, and says, “Zorii.”

Rey gives Tallie’s hand a comforting squeeze as Zorii takes the last rose and says, “Rose.”

Rose steps forward to stand in front of Zorii.

“Rose, will you accept this rose?”

“I will.”

Rose and Zorii embrace and go back to everyone.

Palpatine opens his hands in a conciliatory gesture.

“Tallie, Beaumont, I’m sorry. Take a moment to say your goodbyes.”

Rose pulls Tallie into a hug, and pretty soon Rey and Zorii are hugging her too. Bazine offers a pat on the back. Tallie squeezes herself between Rose and Bazine, giving Palpatine a quick hug before making her way to the waiting car to whisk her off to the airport.

***  
Tallie: It’s disappointing for sure. There was no one there for me. I’m sad this didn’t work out. I would’ve loved to stay longer, but sometimes, it’s not meant to be.  
***

Beaumont hugs Rey, Rose, Tallie and Zorii. Ben even gives him a friendly shoulder punch. Beaumont waves at everyone, shakes hands with Palpatine, and heads to his car.

***  
Beaumont: It sucks, man. I don’t know what else to say. I wanted to find love, but my person just wasn’t there.  
***

After Tallie and Beaumont leave, C-3PO comes bearing six champagne glasses for the remaining contestants. Zorii raises hers.

“Here’s to surviving another week in paradise, and hopefully many more.”

Everyone clinks their glasses together and drinks. Rey swallows hers in one go. She’s managed to get through the rose ceremony, and now she wants to talk to Ben. Her head is a bit fuzzy from all the alcohol consumed over the course of the cocktail party, and she’s not even sure what she would say to him. But that won’t stop her. Rey steps out of Poe’s loose embrace around her shoulders and scans the vicinity for Ben. She eventually spots him making his way down towards their sleeping area, hand-in-hand with Bazine.

Rey doesn’t see Poe’s startled expression, Rose’s eye roll, or hear Zorii’s defeated sigh as she sprints after him.

“Wait! Ben, I need to talk to you.”

Both Bazine and Ben come to an abrupt stop. Ben turns to see a flushed Rey hurriedly making her way down the stairs towards them.

“Ben. Can I talk to you for a second?” Rey is gasping between breaths. She’s not sure why she’s suddenly breathless. Maybe she needs to exercise more. Or drink less.

“We can just go over there. It won’t take long.”

Bazine’s expression is cold, but she doesn’t prevent Ben from walking a few yards away with Rey.

Ben’s heart is racing as they go. Rey hasn’t said anything yet, and he’s not sure if he should wait and let her talk about it herself, or prompt her to see if she’ll say something. After a couple seconds, he can’t take the anticipation anymore.

“What do you want to talk to me about, Rey?”

She looks up at him, a startled expression in her eyes, almost as if she forgot she was with Ben in the first place.

“You know I’m here to explore, right?”

Ben nods, not trusting himself to speak.

“This next week, I was hoping we could get to know each other a little better. If that’s okay with you?”

Ben nods his head again, but he’s hardly listening. Is she suggesting she wants to explore a relationship with him? He thought she liked Poe. Wasn’t the whole point of him going on that date with Bazine to help him get over Rey? What now?

“Yeah? Okay, cool. That was all I wanted to say so...I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Ben gives her a small smile before murmuring, “sweet dreams Rey.”

He’s not sure if her blush is from her inebriated state or his words, but he chooses to pretend it’s the latter. 

He makes his way back to a displeased-looking Bazine. He can’t really blame her.

“What was that about?”

Ben doesn't meet her eyes when he mutters, “it was nothing. She’s looking forward to this week, that’s all.”

Bazine looks like she’s on the brink of saying something else before Ben interrupts.

“I’m really tired. I think I’ll turn in. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Ben makes a beeline for his bed, leaving Bazine on the beach. He has to stop himself from grinning. He thought for sure Rey wasn’t interested in him, but a new butterfly of hope flutters in his stomach. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

\--

On a dramatic new episode of Bachelor in Paradise -

“Found this date card outside!”

The time has come for Rey to make her decision.

“Listen to your heart.”

That decision could leave not one -

“How could he do this to me?”

But two broken hearts in its wake.

“I don’t want to talk right now. I can’t do this.”

Catch it right here next week.

\--

***  
Producer: Are you looking forward to the cocktail party?  
Ben: Yes.  
Producer:...do you want to elaborate?  
Ben: I’m sure it will be a lot of fun.  
Producer: What about relationships? How are you feeling about Bazine?  
Ben: She’s great.  
Producer:...okay. What about Rey?  
Ben: She’s also great.  
Producer: Are you hoping to talk to her at the rose ceremony?  
Ben: If we do, I’m sure it’ll be great.  
Producer: What are you looking forward to about the rose ceremony?  
Ben: I’d really like a margarita. C-3PO makes a good one. The best one I ever had is from my Uncle Luke. I can’t give that man too much credit, but his margaritas are incredible.  
Producer: *sighs* we don’t care about your uncle’s margaritas -  
Ben: You should. They were damn good.  
Producer: This interview is over.  
***

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Hit me up on Twitter @chaoticsarahh if you feel so inclined.


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